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Library Managers

University of Waterloo
Library Managers, September 17, 2008
9:30 a.m., LIB 428

Present: Allan Bell, Eric Boyd, Betty Graf, Jennifer Haas, Sharon Lamont (Chair), Susan Mavor, Ann Naese, Richard Pinnell, Susan Routliffe, Mary Stanley, Debbie Tytko, Margaret Yuen, Annette Dandyk (Recorder)

Regrets: Mark Haslett, Michele Laing

Guests: Matt Erickson, Catherine Fry, Conflict Management & Human Rights Office

1. Workplace Harassment

Matt Erickson and Catherine Fry thanked the group for their willingness to be a test group and for providing constructive feedback that they can pass on to Thomson Carswell. As harassment - or boundary crossing behaviour - is counter productive to a respectful workplace, the more knowledgeable people are the better equipped they are to deal with and respond to it. It is important for supervisors to know how to respond when presented with a problem; staff also need to be aware that they have options/other resources on campus and elsewhere, such as the UW Community Support Services Wheel http://www.hr.uwaterloo.ca/work/support/support.html.

Library Managers intend to work with Matt and Catherine to rollout the information to supervisors and the rest of the staff. With heightened sensitivity people can recognize boundary crossing behaviour (disrespect, bullying) in others and themselves.

A complete hardcopy version of the course is available in the Library Office. Matt will inquire if Carswell Thomson has something available on their web site.

Action: Managers will revisit the matter at a future meeting.

2. a) Chair’s Remarks

• Updates

Three Library staff are members of Scholars Portal Committees and working groups:
SPOD (Scholars Portal Operations & Development) - Allan Bell; Faye Abrams is also a member of this group
PSAG (Public Services Advisory Group) - Jennifer Haas
E-Books Implementation Working Group - Wish Leonard

Mark recently received a memo from Amit Chakma about upcoming Staff Association Executive elections for a new president and three new directors. The memo states “Please encourage those of your staff who you feel would be strong leaders, to consider running for these positions. Also, please let them know that you will support their absence from the workplace in accord with the agreement we have made about time off from work to attend to staff relations issues.” Sharon will forward the memo to Managers who were encouraged to support staff who have the potential to contribute.

Work to repair the Porter terrace to address leaks in Special Collections has been delayed approximately one year.

The Geo-abstract display organized by Eva Dodsworth runs to the end of the week in the Modern Languages gallery.

b) Around the Table Updates

Jennifer
• PSAG met at the end of August; discussion included what lies ahead for the next year, and specifically the public interface for MarcLogic. The group is planning for Scholars Portal day and will draw up an agenda over the next few months.

Ann
• Donna Millard, Director of Social Services and Humanities at McMaster Library will meet with Ann and Wish Leonard on October 1to learn about the 3M RFID inventory and security system.

Betty
• Larisa Smyk started September 9 and will be doing Russian cataloguing once she has completed training.
• Betty received an email from the Annex inquiring if the 100 boxes of books they packed in the last month could be sent. Cataloguing currently has no space to accommodate the boxes. It was suggested that they be sent to Gage St.

Mary
• The official reopening of the Porter main floor will be October 28. The staff sneak preview is planned for Friday September 26, 10:00 a.m. Alex will send a message to staff this week.

Bill
• Systems has developed a new web forms handling process that allows staff to create and maintain their own forms. Bill made a presentation to staff in Davis showing them how the new method works. Any other department that would like a similar presentation should contact Bill.

Margaret
• Workshops and instruction courses have been full and well received; there have been waiting lists and requests for more workshops.
• Pauline Dewan is being trained.
• Porter ISR staff are gearing up for the move back to the 2nd floor.
• The Faculty of Environment picnic is at 11:30 today; everyone is welcome.

Susan R
• UW’s presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will start in Dubai, not in Abu Dhabi as originally expected. Magdy Salama, a faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering will be on site and will take the lead on coordinating the project. Mark will meet with him to discuss Library Services.

Allan
• Allan has not received any feedback on the draft Emerging Technologies Librarian job description. He will move forward on getting it posted.
• At the last Managers meeting Allan reported that it was hoped that Primo would go live September 10; it did not happen. A new date has not yet been targeted. Staff are working with the vendor to work through some of the issues.

3. Business Arising from July 16

#3 HR Job Description Website – work is progressing on this project.

#4 UW Identity Task force – Allan took the feedback from the Managers meeting and from staff who attended the lunch presentation back to the Task Force. In general, people did see themselves in the positioning statement. It was recommended that they take the presentation to UW’s Executive Council.

Business Arising from September 3

#1 Purchasing Card – people have been completing application forms. Training for new card holders and reviewers has been scheduled for October 17.

#2 b Around the table, luncheon for new staff on October 1 – Managers were asked to remind their new staff about the lunch.

4. Report of the Committee to Give Suggestions to Reduce Noise in Porter

Because of requests from students for quiet study areas, an ad-hoc committee was formed and charged with suggesting ways to reduce noise in Porter. A student was invited to speak at an ISR department meeting; he suggested signage to encourage silent study.

The committee made two suggestions: 1) create a team with a mandate and terms of reference to carry out the recommendation to create a Code of Student Conduct using the Davis guidelines as a starting point, and 2) allocate floors 9 and 10 of the Porter Library as silent study for Fall 2008.

While some monitoring is being carried out in Davis, the code of conduct is not being enforced and is only moderately effective. Enforcement would be too difficult in Porter because of its size. It was noted that the 1st floor lounge outside Special Collections has evolved into a quiet space, self policed by students. Floors 9 and 10 are already somewhat quieter than other areas.

Managers had mixed reactions about the notion of putting up signs. Some expressed concern about putting up signage for something that won’t be enforced; others felt that it would give staff and students the grounds to use and point out when approaching other noisy students.

Action: Discuss at LibExec

 

Next meeting: October 1, Davis, followed by new staff luncheon




 




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June 10, 2009